Search Results for: blog junk food and mental health

Eating Healthy On A Frugal Budget

Too many people tell me that the reason they eat such unhealthy meals is because healthy food is expensive. I tend to disagree with them, but converting these spendthrifts isn’t all that difficult when I tell them that our family of four eats pretty healthy and my food budget is half of the national average (according to my online research). I’m not a health nut by any means, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that junk food makes you feel terrible and it doesn’t cost less than healthier foods. Not to mention you’ll have fewer trips to … Continue reading →

Dogs, Unconditional Love and Mental Health

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I read in the recent weekend paper where our local animal shelter had registered an alarming increase in the number of dogs and other pets being handed in because the owners could no longer keep them. Skyrocketing pressures on the family budget appear to have claimed yet another victim: The family pet. A spokesperson for the animal shelter said that the people who were surrendering their animals claimed that the increased cost of living was making it impossible to pay for the costs involved in keeping a pet. As well as an increase in the number of animals being dumped, … Continue reading →

Healthy Hunger Fixes

Do you feel like your eating is out of control? Maybe you let yourself get so hungry that you choose out of desperation and convenience. You’re not alone. Here are some healthy fixes for bad hunger habits. Skipping breakfast? Or worse — choosing unhealthy foods because they’re fast? You can grab a piece of fruit just as quickly and easily. Try defrosting a whole grain bagel while you get dressed and ready in the morning. Try sticking instant oatmeal into the microwave as soon as you wake up and eat it while you get going. Picking unhealthy snacks to fight … Continue reading →

Pick the Healthiest Water

I’m a fan of flavored water. What can I say? I like drinks with flavor. Plain old water is okay once in a while, but I’m far more likely to get my eight glasses a day if they actually taste like something. But not all flavored waters are created equal. Here are some tips to help you pick the best water — and stay away from the stuff that isn’t as good for you. Watch the sweeteners. Check the label for sugars, whether natural or artificial. Sweeteners play a big role in calorie count — and how many calories do … Continue reading →

Do You Really Want to be the Food Cop?

I wrote the other day about how I believe that children should start feeding themselves as soon as they are developmentally able. Since “food issues” continue to be such big things for many families, I thought that talking about policing and issuing ultimatums around what food our children eat and how they eat at the table might also be a good topic for conversation. I think that parents mean well–from the very first moment we worry about whether we are feeding our children enough and whether they are getting enough of the right nutrients and antibodies–parents debate whether to breast … Continue reading →

Stress and Women

A recent survey from the American Psychological Association found that more than eighty percent of women experience physical symptoms of stress like fatigue and headaches on a regular basis. Are you one of them? The thing is, most women think they’re managing their stress well. In the survey from the American Psychological Association, eighty-one percent of women said they were managing their stress “extremely well” or “somewhat well”. Despite that, eighty-one percent of women complained of physical symptoms of stress. How do you know if you’re stressed? Physical symptoms like headache, fatigue, and muscle tension. Impaired ability to focus or … Continue reading →

Using Food to Change Mood

Prefer a natural alternative to changing your state of mind? While major chronic mood disorders require counseling and intermittent drug treatment, often we can make small but significant changes to our diet and lifestyle to assist us to get out of a bad frame of mind. Try these simple tips next time you have a case of the “blahs”. 1. Feeling Irritable? Maintaining steady blood sugar levels will help stave off sugar swings that can lead to irritability. Eating 5 to 6 small meals throughout the day and never missing breakfast can make for a much more stable mood. Supplementing … Continue reading →

Eating Healthy on the Run

Sometimes, I’m too impulsive. I’ll get a spur of the moment idea and run with it. That’s how I found myself in a classroom again. I wanted something to do while my kids were in school, so I thought it might be a good idea to take classes, full-time, at a university. My goodness, I wasn’t prepared for it. For eight years, I did what I wanted, when I wanted. Suddenly, I was studying for hours and I had no social life. It wasn’t long before I missed those afternoon naps I used to take… and it showed. I hadn’t … Continue reading →

Nine Tips for Brain Health

Your brain is one of the most important organs in your body! If you want to keep your brain healthy and sharp, try these tips for brain health. Stay mentally active. Take a class at the local college, learn a new skill or language, or play Scrabble. Crossword puzzles and Sudoku are great games to keep your thinker nice and sharp. Your brain needs challenges to keep functioning at its peak. Get enough sleep. If you aren’t sleeping enough, you’ll feel less alert. If you aren’t sleeping well over a long period of time, your brain function can be impaired. … Continue reading →

Stress and Digestion

Stress affects most organs of the body and the stomach is no exception. Stress can cause those familiar knots in the stomach, some types of ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, poor absorption of nutrients leading to further ill health, and oversecretion of stomach acids. If all this sounds like a pain in the gut, it is! Of course, not all these conditions are caused by stress alone, but a person who is subjected to chronic stressors in their life will almost always suffer some form of digestional difficulty. It may be a sore stomach, frequent burping, heartburn or gastric reflux, or bouts … Continue reading →